Kenya’s Sabastian Sawe became the first person in history to run a marathon in under two hours during an official competition at the 2026 London Marathon, obliterating the world record.
According to Al Jazeera, the 31-year-old Kenyan distance runner clocked a staggering 1:59:30 yesterday, navigating the 42.195-kilometre course to achieve a feat once deemed physically impossible for the human body.
Sawe’s did more than just break the tape first. He wrote a new chapter in sporting history.
By finishing in under two hours, he shaved a massive 65 seconds off the previous world record of 2:00:35, set by his late compatriot Kelvin Kiptum in Chicago in 2023.
The race was a high-octane battle from the start. Sawe was pushed to his absolute limit by Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha, who remained on his heels until the final stretch.
In a historic sprint to the finish, Sawe pulled away to claim the record, while Kejelcha also broke the sub-two-hour barrier, finishing second at 1:59:41.
The 2026 London Marathon saw a rewriting of the record books, with all three medalists on the podium beating the previous world record.
Rounding out the top three was Jacob Kiplimo of Uganda, who secured the bronze medal with a time of 2:02:28.
“Today, we didn’t just run a race; we proved that human limits are meant to be challenged,” commentators remarked as the crowd erupted in London.
Sawe’s victory is being hailed as a ‘moon landing’ moment for athletics.
